Middlings-purifier



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

H. W. STONE, Jr.

MIDDLINGS PURIFIBR. No. 460,731. Patented Oct. 6, 1891.

vwem co 1 1121mm J)? 8 1;} Wflitozmq/ UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HEMAN VARD STONE, JR, OF MORRIS, MI NNESOTA.

MIDDLINGS-PURIFIER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 460,731,dated October 6, 1891. Application filed April 27, 1888. Serial No. 272,032. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HEM'AN'WARD STONE, J r., a citizen of the United States, residing at Morris, in the county of Stevens and State of Minnesota, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Middlings-Purifiers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvementin middlings-purifiers; and it consists in the peculiar construction and combination of devices that will be more fully set forth hereinafter, and particularly pointed out in the claim.

The object of the invention is to separate the offal-1naterial having no milling value from the middlings or graintreated, and after the offal is removed to separate the middlings or grain into two or moredi'fferent grades, according to their quality or milling value, and to so make such separation that the middlings or grain in each different grade shall be of a uniform quality, this being accomplished at a minimum cost for power consumed, construction of machine, and space occupied.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a middlings-purifier embodying my improvements, portions of the inclosing case being removed. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse sectional View of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse sectional View of another form of my invention.

A represents a vertical rectangular inclosing case of suitable length, width, and height. The said case is provided on one side at its base with an offset or enlargement B, which communicates with the interior of the case.

In the upper side of the case is the usual fan or blower O, which is adapted to cause a blast of air to ascend through the case and to discharge the said blast of air through a spout D.

On one side of the fan or blower, at the upper side of the case is a hopper E, one side of which is inclined and extends nearly to the center of the casc'and forms the bottom of the hopper. Arranged in a longitudinal opening in the said inclined side of the hopper is a revolving feed-roller F.

G represents a regulating feed-slide, which is attached to the vertical inner side H of the hopper by means of clamping-bolts K, and is adapted to be moved vertically, so as to form an opening of suitable size between its lower edge and the roller F for the escape of the middlings.

On the opposite side of the case A and at a suitable distance below the inclined side of the hopper is a deflecting-plate I, which is inclined in the same direction with the inclined side of the hopper and has an opening L, formed between its lower edge and the opposing side of the case.

At a suitable distance below the deflectingplate I and inclining in the opposite direction from the same is a deflecting-plate M.

N represents a longitudinal board, which is arranged in a vertical direction at a slight distance from the lower edge of the deflecting-plate M, thereby forming an opening 0 between the lower edges of the plate Maud the board N.

At the upper edge of the board N is a hinged valve-plate P, which is adapted to be inclined in any desired direction.

R'represents an inclined. board, which is arranged at substantially the same angle as the deflecting-plate M, has its upper edge connected to the upper edge of the board N, and has its lower edge projected through an opening in one side of the case. The said inclined board R, together with the adjacent side of the case, forms a pocket or receptacle for one grade of the middlings, as will be hereinafter described.

S represents a deflecting-plate, which is ar ranged in the same vertical plane, with and at r a suitable distance below the plate M, and is inclined in the opposite direction from said plate. Arranged near the lower edge of the said plate S is a longitudinal board T, which is supported in a vertical position, an opening U being formed between the opposing lower edges of said board T and plateS.

At the upper edge of the board Tis ahinged Valve-plate V.

V represents an inclined board, which is similar to the board S, extends in the opposite direction from the same, has its upper edge secured to the upper edge of board T, and has its lower edge projected through an opening in one side of the'case A. The'said board I and the adjacent side of the case form a pocket t for one grade of the middlings, which pocket is similar to the pocket a, formed by the board It and the adjacent side of the case. 5 If preferred, additional deflecting-plates and pockets may be arranged below those already described, according to the height of thecase A and the number of grades into which it is desired to separate the middlings.

The operation of my invention is as follows: WVhen the fan or blower C is operated, a current of air is caused to enter the lower side of the case and ascend through the same in a curvilinear direction, as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 2, the said current of air passing backward and forward over the plates S, under plate M, under the plate I, and under the inclined side of the hopper before reaching the fan or blower, as will be readily understood. The iniddlings which are fed from the hopper intercept and pass through the said blast of air before falling upon the deflecting-plate I and as the said middlings pass through the said blast of air the latter serves to carry off the lighter particles or offal. From the deflecting-plate I the middlings are fed through the opening L and are caused to drop through the ascending blast of air in a plane intersecting said blast of air. The heavier particles of the iniddlings fall upon the plate M and the lighterparticles are blown upon the bottom board Rof the pocket at and are discharged from the said pocket into a suitable receptacle and form one grade of middlings. The heavier particles, which were deposited on the deflecting-plate M, drop througlrthe openings 0 in a plane intersecting the ascending blast of air and are thereby again operated upon by the said blast of air, the heavier particles dropping onto the deflectingplate S and escaping through the opening U and forming a different grade of middlings, and the lighter particles being blown upon the board WV of the pocketb and escaping from the said pocket and constituting still a third grade of middlings.

From the foregoing description it will be understood that not only are the iniddlings subjected repeatedly to the same blast of air, so as to become effectually purified and separated thereby, but the said middlings are divided into grades of different qualities and of diiferent commercial values and are delivered from the case at diiferent points.

In the other form of my invention (illustrated in Fig. 3) I employ the middlings-purifier described in Letters Patent of the United States No. 375,782, granted to me January 3, 1888, and provided with the sieve c, the ascending series of inclined deflecting-plates d and the series of slats e. That portion of the case which is below the series of deflecting-plates has ofisets f projecting from opposite sides, is provided with conveyer-troughs or receptacles g, arranged one above the other on opposite sides of the case, and has deflecting-plates h arranged in opposite directions and in sub stantially the same vertical plane, and being in all respects similar to the deflecting-plates I, M, and S in the preferred form of my 111- vention, hereinbefore described.

The operation of this other form of my 1nvention is precisely similar to the operation of. the preferred form thereof, the fan or blower serving to cause an ascending blast of air to pass in a curvilinear course through'the case and backward and forward under the deflecting-plates, so that the middlings will be caused to pass repeatedly through the ascending blast of air and will be separated into different grades and qualities of middlings and deposited in the conveyer-troughs, from which they will be ejected at difierent points and into separate receiving-vessels by the worm-conveyers i'.

It will be readily understood that as the grain passes from one deflecting-plate to another in its curvilinear or sinuous course from top to bottom it is intersected by theascending current of air, which in its curvilinear or sinuous course from bottom to top, being opposite to the course of the grain, meets the grain just at the point where the receiv ng trough or pocket is located, thereby causing the proper separation of the grainto be made. It will also be seen that the action of the current of air is repetitive.that is to say, the same air that acts on the grain at one place of separation also acts on the grain at the other points of separation throughout the purifier; also, it is only in passing from one deflecting-plate to another or from one point of separation to another that the air-current acts on the descending volume of grain. Furthermore, all of the air-current passes over each pocket or troughin its ascent.

I do not wish to be understood as claiming the use of an ascending blast of air opposed to a descending body of grain, as I am aware that this is old in the art. My invention comprehends the use of a descending body of grainpassing in a tortuous, sinuous,or curvi' linear course and an ascending current of air rising also in a sinuous or curvilinear course, the curvilinear direction of the grain being opposite the curvilinear current of air, so as to intersect each other at different points vertically throughout the purifier, these points of intersection being known as places of separation and being supplied with a receiving trough or pocket to catch the diiferent grades of middlings.

Having thus described my invention, I clain1- In a middlings-puriiier, the case, the airinlet at the bottom, the fan or blower at the top to produce an ascending current of air, the oppositely-inclined deflecting-plates ar ranged one above the other in the path of the descending body of grain and the ascending current of air and thereby causing the current of air to pass in a curvilinear course through the case from bottom to top and the grain to the middlings to the deflecting-plate below, as to descend in an opposite curvilinear course from set forth. top to bottom and to intersect the ascending In testimonythat I claim the foregoing as current of air at different points vertically, my own I have hereto aflixed my signature 1n 5 and the receiving pockets or troughs arranged presence of two witnesses.

adjacent to the deflecting-plates at the points HEMAN WARD STONE, J R. where the air currentinterseots the grain, a Witnesses: space being provided between each deflecting- J. A. JOHNSON,

plate and its trough to allow for the escape of WM. 0. BICKNELL. 

